Ashrita Furman

Summary: The record-breaking attempts will take place in Portugal on July 9-10, 2018.

Lisbon, Portugal – Ashrita Furman, a widely known record-breaker who holds over 600 records in his lifetime, will attempt to break several records at the Impossibility Challenger, an event that allows anyone to attempt to break a world record in any challenge not featured in the Olympics. Examples of past records broken during the event include the longest time juggling bowling pins (two minutes and four seconds), the most jumps into the pool from a starting block in one hour (223 dives), the longest time a group of people can perform songs from one composer wearing traditional costumes (27 hours, 13 minutes and 8 seconds), and the fastest one-mile run using swim fins (five minutes 48.20 seconds). Participants are encouraged to invent their own record attempts, and to use their own creativity to develop new records to challenge their personal limitations.

Mr. Furman, a 63-year-old American from New York, will attempt to break the world record in several areas. Mr. Furman currently holds over 200 world records. During this year’s Impossibility Challenger, Mr. Furman will try to break the world record for catching the most marshmallows in his mouth in one minute using a catapult, extinguishing the most blow torches in one minute using his tongue and breaking the most pencils with his head in one minute.

The Impossibility Challenger was started in 1982 by peace activist, meditation teacher and weightlifter Sri Chinmoy as a way to allow non-Olympic individuals to achieve greatness by working on and mastering a personal goal or challenge that stretches their capabilities beyond what they thought was possible. The Sri Chinmoy Centers sponsor the Impossibility Challenger. The event allows people of any age, nationality, and area of expertise to try and break a record and achieve a new level of accomplishment.

Individuals have broken already-held world records, as well as beginning new records they invented. The event has been held in several locations since its beginning in Zurich, Switzerland. Locations have included Germany, New Zealand and Hungary.